Sculpins make up a large part of the diet for trout in our neck of the woods. They’re also available all season long which means if you’re not sure what to tie on, a solid sculpin imitation is probably a safe bet.
While they work well in western Alaska, sculpins are also one the most abundant forage fish for large predatory trout in rivers all over the world, so odds are they work really well on your rivers too!
There are a lot of great sculpin imitations out there, but one of our all around favorites is the Sculpzilla. With it’s combination of weight, action, and moderate profile, the Sculpzilla fishes well whether swung, stripped, or just about any way you can think to fish it. It’s also tied in articulated fashion which not only means it moves really well in the water, but it fights big fish really well too. We think it’s one of the most productive sculpin patterns out there, and today we show you how to tie it.
The Sculpzilla – Tying Instructions
You can also tie a tiny piece of tubing onto the rabbit strip and tie in a loop of Dacron or braid just long enough to feel through tubing and onto small octopus hook…
This way you can change he hook without cutting the rabbit off the hook
Here’s a couple alternative approaches to stinger loops and bunny strips:
FIRST APPROACH Tie an overhand loop (NOT a perfection loop – it cuts braided line) approximately 1 inch in length (when collapsed) in a single strand of 30 lb, limp braided line. (Maybe heavier for Chinook ties)
Then thread the hook on through that loop. I often loop the hook on the line first and tie the overhand loop with the hook already looped on.
Right at the tip of the rabbit strip, use a sharp bodkin to punch/tear two holes in the strip, about 3/8 inch apart.
Thread the hook and loop through those two holes.
Mount the hook and strip to the front shank by running the single strand of braided line through the eye of the shank, wrapping it back over itself back down the shank a few times and whip finish. Then lash the front end of the rabbit strip to the front shank with thread.
It’s secure, it’s limp (you only have one strand of line coming off the front shank instead of two), its fast, and provides for hooks to be swapped out. The loop provides two strands of line to hold the hook snubbed right up near the rabbit strip with no dangle.
SECOND APPROACH Takes from another post elsewhere on this site using AK West guide Grant Turner’s method….
Do everything the same, but instead of punching two holes in the end of the rabbit strip, just secure the tip of the strip to the hook by running the end of it through the loop when you loop the hook on. I have just started using this method.